First Duck incubation w/Nurture Right 360. Come along for the journey! I'll do pictures!

[Miss Lydia]

Hard to beleive a great horned owl could do what you described maybe a raccoon they can open just about anything that is why we have to make sure what kind of locks and bolts we use to keep out birds safe in their houses. i am not disputing what you aresaying just having a hard time thinking of an owl being able to work a rachet strap off and get the duck.

I am very sorry, I hope you get some ducklings from these eggs.

 

[Everlastinghoop]

Hard to beleive a great horned owl could do what you described maybe a raccoon they can open just about anything that is why we have to make sure what kind of locks and bolts we use to keep out birds safe in their houses. i am not disputing what you aresaying just having a hard time thinking of an owl being able to work a rachet strap off and get the duck.

I am very sorry, I hope you get some ducklings from these eggs.

Yeah. Agree! We didn't think it was an owl either!! Until we spent all day investigating.....believe me ...it was not a raccoon. No evidence of one at all ...it was crazy!! It was like a vampire came and got our ducks..and I know that is what they say about Owls..that they leave No TRACE ...except the feathers....and that not how a raccoon deals with it's kill....this was a bird...and no other bird at night could do what this one did to its prey...
the ratchet (and elastic) popped off of the dome shaped house..it really wasn't that secure....but we didnt realize that grat horned owls can go to great lengths to taunt and draw out their prey and even get into poultry houses. Look it up! It's crazy; they do get into chicken houses! I did t know!!! Our chicken hosue is fort knocks....and we are not worried at all....the ducks were a new addition last year and we didn't realize an old was around .. I thought if the bird can't see the duck they won't know it's there....stupid us. Nope.
Fool me once...
...so Maple could have squeezed her way out of her door that isn't secured super well... if she was panicked enough with the Owl sitting on her house ect...idk and if the Great horned owl was patient enough to spend all night terrifying her, which I think it did, then we also see how it could have been slipped off of the dome shaped home...it was not a raccoon! Crazy but no way. No marks no tracks no fur....and it didn't carry her Over a fence without leaving a trace of itself ... The owl definitely did the same thing twice and Knew it had another duck to get after getting the first ...But raccoons don't do what it did. It was creepy at first honestly ...they are crazy predators. We will be ready next time.
Oh and from the first duck nab we found two days later out ducks wing longer feathers under one of our paper trees (they are VERY TALL TREES) and some regurgitated pieces of duck bones...and there is a nest at the top of it...it is too high to see inside..but that is how we also knew it had a nest nearby...AND IS probably very happy to have food for it's babies... good and bad at the same time...we felt terrible..and we are on high alert.

 

[p4PaDuck]

Sweet! hope you can preserve your drakes legacy!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yeah. Agree! We didn't think it was an owl either!! Until we spent all day investigating.....believe me ...it was not a raccoon. No evidence of one at all ...it was crazy!! It was like a vampire came and got our ducks..and I know that is what they say about Owls..that they leave No TRACE ...except the feathers....and that not how a raccoon deals with it's kill....this was a bird...and no other bird at night could do what this one did to its prey...
the ratchet (and elastic) popped off of the dome shaped house..it really wasn't that secure....but we didnt realize that grat horned owls can go to great lengths to taunt and draw out their prey and even get into poultry houses. Look it up! It's crazy; they do get into chicken houses! I did t know!!! Our chicken hosue is fort knocks....and we are not worried at all....the ducks were a new addition last year and we didn't realize an old was around .. I thought if the bird can't see the duck they won't know it's there....stupid us. Nope.
Fool me once...
...so Maple could have squeezed her way out of her door that isn't secured super well... if she was panicked enough with the Owl sitting on her house ect...idk and if the Great horned owl was patient enough to spend all night terrifying her, which I think it did, then we also see how it could have been slipped off of the dome shaped home...it was not a raccoon! Crazy but no way. No marks no tracks no fur....and it didn't carry her Over a fence without leaving a trace of itself ... The owl definitely did the same thing twice and Knew it had another duck to get after getting the first ...But raccoons don't do what it did. It was creepy at first honestly ...they are crazy predators. We will be ready next time.
Oh and from the first duck nab we found two days later out ducks wing longer feathers under one of our paper trees (they are VERY TALL TREES) and some regurgitated pieces of duck bones...and there is a nest at the top of it...it is too high to see inside..but that is how we also knew it had a nest nearby...AND IS probably very happy to have food for it's babies... good and bad at the same time...we felt terrible..and we are on high alert.

Wow I had no idea they were like that. We have them around too, thankfully only my game camera has picked up a screech owl and it was at night after everyone was locked up.

 

[p4PaDuck]

That's good that everyone was put up for bed! I have an owl near here, haven't seen it but can hear it and it's not a dove/pigeon... almost like it's taunting me and playing the you can't see me but you can hear me game!

 

[p4PaDuck]

Yeah. Agree! We didn't think it was an owl either!! Until we spent all day investigating.....believe me ...it was not a raccoon. No evidence of one at all ...it was crazy!! It was like a vampire came and got our ducks..and I know that is what they say about Owls..that they leave No TRACE ...except the feathers....and that not how a raccoon deals with it's kill....this was a bird...and no other bird at night could do what this one did to its prey...
the ratchet (and elastic) popped off of the dome shaped house..it really wasn't that secure....but we didnt realize that grat horned owls can go to great lengths to taunt and draw out their prey and even get into poultry houses. Look it up! It's crazy; they do get into chicken houses! I did t know!!! Our chicken hosue is fort knocks....and we are not worried at all....the ducks were a new addition last year and we didn't realize an old was around .. I thought if the bird can't see the duck they won't know it's there....stupid us. Nope.
Fool me once...
...so Maple could have squeezed her way out of her door that isn't secured super well... if she was panicked enough with the Owl sitting on her house ect...idk and if the Great horned owl was patient enough to spend all night terrifying her, which I think it did, then we also see how it could have been slipped off of the dome shaped home...it was not a raccoon! Crazy but no way. No marks no tracks no fur....and it didn't carry her Over a fence without leaving a trace of itself ... The owl definitely did the same thing twice and Knew it had another duck to get after getting the first ...But raccoons don't do what it did. It was creepy at first honestly ...they are crazy predators. We will be ready next time.
Oh and from the first duck nab we found two days later out ducks wing longer feathers under one of our paper trees (they are VERY TALL TREES) and some regurgitated pieces of duck bones...and there is a nest at the top of it...it is too high to see inside..but that is how we also knew it had a nest nearby...AND IS probably very happy to have food for it's babies... good and bad at the same time...we felt terrible..and we are on high alert.

It's a learning experience for sure. Having animals is a learning curve for all of us even if we have YEARS of experience. There is always more to learn. But now you know for next time!